Volunteers the reason new owner 'fell in love'

Ashford United's owners have paid tribute to its volunteers without whom, they say, the club would not run.

Co-owners Lloyd Hume and Dave Warr are in their first season after taking over in October - with Hume stepping in as interim manager following the departure of Danny Kedwell in January.

Hume, who has previous experience at Maidstone United, said it was the volunteers who attracted him to the Kent club, nicknamed the Nuts and Bolts.

He said: "The volunteers were part of the reason that I fell in love with the whole place."

Hume said: "It runs with so few people giving 110% to everything they do, a lot of it which is for free.

"They've continued to astound me with their hard work and their commitment as to what they'll do behind the scenes, and if I'm honest, without them the club wouldn't run."

Volunteers say that helping with the team is "always a pleasure" and call the club "like a second home".

Playing in the eighth tier of English football, the Isthmian League South East division, the Nuts and Bolts moniker dates back to the club's beginnings when the squad was made up of railway engineers.

Ashford's co-owners and volunteers say they have long-term plans for investment and promotion up the football pyramid.

Volunteer Ernie Warren, who has dedicated his own time to Ashford since 1983, sells programmes with his grandson, having worked for free as the club's chairman and general manager.

Dubbed the King of Ashford, Mr Warren said: "It's always a pleasure, never a chore because it gets you out, I love it.

"I came from the terraces, ended up chairman of a members' club and now I'm back on the terraces as a supporter."

Another volunteer, Terry Moore, said: "I come five days a week, possibly six on a match day.

"It's general maintenance really, the fences, the rails, make sure they're not falling off.

"The fences - make sure they're not coming off," he said.

"I come five days a week, possibly six on a match day.

It's nice to get a day off but when I'm at home I often think, 'oh, there's a job up there I ought to do' so I'm back again. So it's my own fault really," Mr Moore said.

"It's like a second home to me."

BBC South East is running a new feature called 'Behind The Teams' where we'll be looking at the characters who keep small clubs going across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. If you think your team should be featured please email [email protected] or contact us on Facebook, X or Instagram.